


Photographer

by Nyx Galanodel (Alyseris)



Series: Bruce & Tim Drabble/Oneshot Collection [3]
Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: (just a bit of it), Bruce Wayne is a Good Parent, Fluff, Gen, Hugs, Mentioned Alfred Pennyworth, Mentioned Jason Todd, Photographs, Wordcount: 100-1.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-30
Updated: 2020-09-30
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:41:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 766
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26736793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alyseris/pseuds/Nyx%20Galanodel
Summary: Tim comes up to Bruce with an unannounced gift, that results in equal measures grief and happiness.
Series: Bruce & Tim Drabble/Oneshot Collection [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1926628
Comments: 6
Kudos: 53





	Photographer

The relative quiet of the Batcave is disturbed only by Bruce typing at the Batcomputer and the sounds of Alfred cleaning up at the medical bay. Patrol had progressed like any other night, with the exception of one particularly lucky crook, whose knife had cut through the Batsuit and torn into the muscle beneath. Really, it’s a minor injury. It didn’t take Alfred long to stitch him up and conclude somewhat mildly that Bruce would technically be ready to go out again tomorrow. Tim, unharmed and very clearly waiting for Bruce’s prognosis, had left the Cave after that, one would assume to turn in -without saying goodnight. A little strange, but then again, Bruce can’t say he always understands the boy. Perhaps he had simply been tired.

Bruce amends that conclusion when somewhere far above them, he hears the study entrance to the Batcave creak and slide open. Steps muffled by soft slippers and experience echo only slightly as they come down the stairs. Bruce glances at Alfred, but he’s got his back to him and the stairs alike. So he waits and continues his work, until Tim carefully speaks out behind him.

‘Bruce?’

He finishes his sentence and grunts in affirmation. There’s the sound of fabric rustling; Tim is fumbling. One of his nervous tells -but they had trained him to stop that. Odd.

‘I -I have something for you.’

Bruce turns around at that, an eyebrow raised. He just _knows_ that Alfred is doing the same. Tim ducks his head and avoids his eyes, seemingly embarrassed. He is holding something behind his back. What Tim could be giving him at this point is unclear. There’s no celebration coming up. Only an anniversary, but… it’s not like that.

‘I should’ve given you this a while ago,’ Tim admits, sounding a little insecure. Bruce can hear Alfred approaching. ‘But it didn’t seem right, at the beginning -and after that, I suppose I was being selfish, I didn’t want you to, er… to fire me. And I know we’re coming up on the fourth week, you know, of the month, so maybe it’s still not appropriate, but -here.’

He thrusts the item at Bruce, then, as though to stop himself from reconsidering. It’s… an album. A photo album, the plain cover not betraying what might be inside. Tim’s words provide enough to weigh Bruce’s heart down, though.

Bruce accepts the album and looks up at Tim, who pointedly avoids him. He has his suspicions, but just to verify and dampen the shock -or maybe to falsify, to prove that he is wrong- he asks: ‘Tim, what’s in this?’

Tim just shakes his head. ‘Just… open it,’ he says in a small voice. 

So Bruce does.

His heart hammers in his throat at only the first four photographs displayed. It’s Batman and Robin. _Jason_. Running along the pavement, getting into the Batmobile, talking to the police. Batman, arms crossed and frowning as Robin eats fast-food. 

‘My word…’

That’s Alfred, who is looking over his shoulder. Bruce notices Tim flinch in his peripheral, but his eyes are on the photographs. He turns the page -and again, and again, until it’s no longer Batman and Robin, but Bruce Wayne and Jason Todd. At a gala, leaving the schoolyard, entering Wayne Enterprises. Some of the photos are blurry, the clear mark of an inexperienced photographer attempting to capture movement, yet they’re all them. Him and Jay.

‘I’m sorry about the last few.’ Tim’s voice hesitantly breaks the silence. ‘I, uh, got a bit stalker when I thought I’d figured you out.’

Bruce looks up, and Tim meets his eye this time, though his hesitance is palpable. 

‘I know, I shouldn’t have waited,’ Tim hurries to say. ‘Sorry, it’s -sorry.’

And Bruce doesn’t know how to feel. Yes, Tim should not have waited. But his earlier explanation is fair. It would have been… difficult to handle, these photos, just after Tim had approached him for the first time. And he would have been angry if Tim had revealed them after only months of their cooperation. But now, two years later? With Jason’s anniversary approaching, and Bruce’s hurt and guilt being exposed more than during any other time of the year?

It just makes him miss his son.

‘Come here, Tim.’

He gestures Tim come closer, but Tim doesn’t move. He forces his expression into something more approachable, and repeats his gesture. Tim smiles nervously, and steps closer. Bruce reaches out, and pulls him into a hug.

‘B? Uh, is everything all right?’

‘They’re wonderful.’ Tim relaxes in his grasp. ‘Thank you, Tim.’

**Author's Note:**

> The vague reference to "the end of the month" is just me implying they're coming up on Jason's death-day (which according to Google, is in late April? Maybe? And I trust Google, of course).   
> Also, if Tim discovering Bruce's identity during Jason's time as Robin and following them around to take photos isn't canonically accurate, then oops. Canon is blurry in most fandoms at best, let alone something like this, so it's fine, I'd say.   
> (This one is a little longer than the last two; I have one more written at the moment which is longer yet, and I'm not sure if/how the other prompts I have lined up for this series will work out. I hope to write some more, though.)  
> I hope you enjoyed!


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